Lessons from a Second Life > before Meta, Philip Rosedale Created an Online Universe

Abstract

When Mark Zuckerberg announced that Meta, née Facebook, would focus on building a shared virtual reality inspired by the fictional metaverse, many were reminded of Linden Lab's Second Life. This came to global prominence in the 2000s as an online world that users could explore, trade, and create in through avatars. (The IEEE even had its own virtual meeting space inside.) But although a dedicated group still populates Second Life, it faded from the zeitgeist.